Playbook
The principles behind a Misoji
Grounded, stoic, and minimal. Use this to shape your year.
Make the year count
Pick one challenge that is big enough to feel impossible in the moment but clear enough to act on daily. A Misoji is not a resolution; it is a direction for the year that demands effort.
In a life of years, this one means more
Time is finite. The point of a Misoji is to name a year that you will remember. You trade comfort for a story worth telling and a self you have to grow into.
What is a Misoji?
A Misoji challenge is a self-assigned, public commitment to do something hard for a defined period. It combines discomfort, specificity, and visibility. You decide the stakes; the community watches you follow through.
Why discomfort and commitment matter
Discomfort exposes the edges of who you are; public commitment keeps you from retreating. The combination builds resilience and trust in yourself. When the challenge is visible, quitting costs more and meaning compounds.
What makes a good Misoji
It should be simple to state, hard to execute, and impossible to forget. It needs a clear start and end, a measurable pattern of action, and a reason that matters to you more than comfort.
Categories to explore
Physical
Daily strength, endurance, or mobility work that respects your current injuries.
Mental
Cognitive strain: deep study, writing, language, or disciplined problem-solving.
Fear
Do the thing you avoid: cold outreach, public speaking, confronting phobias with care.
Endurance
Long-haul efforts that test consistency: ultra plans, marathons, long-term builds.
Skill
Acquire a craft: code a product, learn an instrument, cook at a high level.
Service
Commit to others: weekly volunteering, mentoring, community building.
Creative
Ship art or ideas consistently: essays, songs, visual work, open-source contributions.
Choose your own
A good Misoji is intentional, not accidental. Use this checklist before you commit.
- Does it scare you a little?
- Can you describe it in one sentence?
- Is the timeframe clear (30 days, 90 days, 6 months, or 1 year)?
- Will you know if you did it each day or week?
- Can you state why it matters in a single paragraph?
- Are you willing to make it public?
- Is the cost of quitting higher than the comfort of stopping?
Ready to make the year count?